The Elf (2017)

Plot: Nick is haunted by night terrors stemming from a tragic murder he saw when he was young. After inheriting an old toy shop, he discovers a cursed elf doll sealed inside an ancient chest with a naughty list of his family’s names written on it. He soon discovers that the elf was an evil conduit meant to unleash a supernatural killing spree during the Christmas Holidays by whomever set it free.

Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

There may be spoilers the rest of the review

Verdict: Christmas Terror Delight

Story: The Elf starts as Nick (Miller) inherits a small toy shop, upon exploring what toys are in the shop, Nick discovers an elf doll with a speech burns a seal onto Nick’s arm once he finishes reading it. Returning home with his girlfriend Victoria (Halabi) the strange elf is in their home which only brings out the nightmares from his childhood.

The night is Christmas Eve and the couple are hosting Victoria’s family for the first time but with the elf turning up looking to cause terror on anybody that is in his way. Can the family be bought together to stop the elf from killing them all?

Thoughts on The Elf

Characters – Nick is our lead character, he inherits a toy shop from his grandfather but unwittingly unleashes the curse of a demon that uses an elf to do its bidding. His memories of a traumatic childhood still haunt him but this Christmas he will see them in a new light. Victoria is the girlfriend of Nick’s they haven’t been together that long and she still is learning about him but is willing to commit to spending their lives together.

Performances – We only focus on Gabriel Miller and Natassia Halabi, Miller is the lead and he is strong throughout the film playing the unstable trauma victim trying to live a normal life. Natassia is also good in her role as the girlfriend putting up with a lot but not taking the spotlight away from the Nick character. The supporting cast all give good performance without getting a chance to be too important to the main story.

Story – The story follows an evil demonic elf terrorising a family over Christmas Eve as family secrets come out. We get a good backstory to why the elf is killing people over Christmas holidays with two characters that must work together to keep people alive while the personal problems from family try to build a divide between them. We do get a killer twist and the film never dives into comedy which it easily could have.

Horror – The horror created is well built up through the movie with moments of creepiness, light gore and Christmas kills.

Settings – Most of the horror side of the film is set in and around the house which they family find difficult to escape due to a snow storm, which helps us understand the horror the family will face.

Special Effects – The effects are great throughout the film with the elf creation and movement looking creepy through the film.

Scene of the Movie – Dealing with Christmas Carollers

That Moment That Annoyed Me – I feel we did need more from the supporting characters.

Final Thoughts – If you want a delightful Christmas horror movie, this will be your pick for 2017, its got moments of gore and a killer that will make you hate elves.

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